Electric Picnic cocaine conviction avoided after donation

First time offenders caught at Electric Picnic with cocaine valued between €250 and €500 can avoid conviction if they pay €1,000 to the court poor box. 

Judge Andrew Cody told a sitting of Portlaoise District Court that the court has discretion to deal with first time offenders found with drugs valued up to €1,500. 

In such cases he will consider donations of up to €4,000, he said. Judge Cody said if young people have the money to buy drugs they can get the money for charity. 

“It is not going to come cheap,” he said. 

He made the comments as Lee Lewis, 24, of 1 Sundale Heights, Mountain View, Tallaght, Dublin appeared before the court for having cocaine at Electric Picnic on September 1 last. 

Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said the defendant had cocaine valued at €290 on the date in question. 

He said the man, who has no previous convictions, was cooperative with gardai and admitted supplying the drugs to friends.  

Suzanne Dooner BL said her client works in a factory as a general operative and has no previous convictions. She described it as a “once off” offence and said the man was “essentially experimenting” with friends. 

Judge Andrew Cody struck out the charges after the man provided €1,000 for the court poor box.